Chris Paul #3 of the Oklahoma City Thunder
Chris Paul #3 of the Oklahoma City Thunder

Chris Paul, also known by his nickname ”CP3,” is a professional basketball player who has played for the New Orleans Pelicans (formerly Hornets), the Los Angeles Clippers and the Houston Rockets before playing for the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2019.

Since beginning his professional career with the league, the basketball star has grown his net worth to a current estimated $130 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth, and a current total earnings of nearly $300 million, as per Spotrac. But Paul’s highest earning comes with his current contract with the Phoenix Suns, which nets him more than $40 million per year.

The New Orleans Hornets selected Paul during the first round of the 2005 NBA draft with the fourth overall pick. The star athlete was chosen to be part of the NBA All-Star Game from 2007 to 2008 and later signed a $68 million contract extension with the Hornets before the next season.

However, he missed the All-Star Game in 2010 after he suffered a torn cartilage in his knee that same year, which caused him to be benched for more than a month for surgical operations, Celebrity Net Worth noted.

In December 2011, Paul was involved in a trade that saw him go to play for the Los Angeles Clippers, where he exercised his $17.8 million player option for the 2012-2013 season. During his first season with the team, he was able to earn $13,167,648 from his contract and averaged 19.8 points and 9.1 assists, as per Clutch Points.

Paul signed a five-year contract extension with the Clippers in 2013, giving him a guaranteed $107.3 million. And in the 2014-2015 season, he started making more than $20 million annually from his contract alone.

The Houston Rockets then signed Paul with their team in 2017, which led to the Rockets’ most dominating look during the 2017-2018 season, Rockets Wire reported.

In 2019, the basketball star was listed as the 10th highest-paid NBA player of all time with total career earnings of $222.5 million, according to Bleacher Report. In that same year, Paul was transferred to the Oklahoma City Thunder, who, a year after, traded him to the Phoenix Suns, as per Forbes.

Chris Paul

Chris Paul Photo: Getty Images